The Albanese Government is investing $10.3 million to tackle the most common cancer in the sunburnt country, skin cancer. Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, with 2 in 3 people diagnosed with some form of the disease in their lifetime.
 
It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia. More than 18,000 people last year were diagnosed with the most lethal form of skin cancer, melanoma.
 
Early detection is essential to give Australians the best chance to treat their skin cancer. This funding will bring together the expertise of the cancer sector and accelerate the development of a national targeted skin cancer screening roadmap.
 
The programme will be led by Australians of the Year Professor Georgina Long AO and Professor Richard Scolyer AO at the Melanoma Institute Australia.
 
Melanoma Institute Australia will work in collaboration with other cancer stakeholders to research risk-based and cost-effective national screening approaches. This includes improving skin cancer data collection for the Australian Cancer Database in close collaboration with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
 
The skin cancer sector has met with the Health Minister to kick start implementation of the $10.3 million investment and identify other opportunities to improve skin cancer outcomes across the entire cancer continuum.
 
Melanoma Institute Australia is also delivering the Albanese Government's commitment to establish a national melanoma nurses programme.
 
As part of Australia's first Cancer Nursing and Navigation Programme, patients will have access to a melanoma nurse to help them navigate their diagnosis.
 
These nurses have already started making a difference in Bendigo, Toowoomba, Perth, Wollongong and Canberra.
 
This investment is on top off the Government’s $15 million national skin cancer prevention campaign which encourages more Aussies to do the Five S’s– Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide, including men over 40 and young adults.